Bottle carrier

ABSTRACT

A collapsible carrier for beverage bottles or the like which is formed from a blank of foldable sheet material cut and scored to provide connected side and end wall forming panels and cooperating top and bottom wall forming panels hinged to the top and bottom edges of the side wall forming panels with the top wall forming panels being connected so as to automatically open up into top wall forming relation when the carrier is opened up for assembly with the bottles and having spaced apertures for accommodating top portions of the bottles, together with fingerreceiving holes which are disposed in a plural ply area.

mite

Arneson 14 July 9, 197 1 [5 BOTTLE CARRIER 3,556,386 1/1971 Ganz .1 229/40 3,680,765 8/1972 Harrelson 1 229/40 [75] Amesmh Hmsdale 3,688,972 9/1972 Mahon 229/51 TS [731 Assignee: Federal Paper Board Company.

llnc., Montvale, NJ, Primary Examiner-William I. Price Assistant ExaminerBruce H. Bernstein [22] Flled' 1972 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Guy A. Greenawalt [2]] Appl. No.: 280,971

[57] ABSTRACT [52] 11.5.0 229/40, 206/139, 229/39 R, A Collapsible Carrier for beverage bottles or the like 229/41 B, 229/52 B which is formed from a blank of foldable sheet mate- 51 1m. 01 365d 5/04, B65d 5/36 rial Cut and Scored to Provide Connected side and end [58] Field 0% Search 229/38, 39 40, 4] B, 52 wall forming panels and co-operating top and bottom 53/32 206/65 E wall forming panels hinged to the top and bottom edges of the side wall forming panels with the top wall [56] References Cited forming panels being conneeted so as to automatically UNITED STATES PATENTS open up into top wall forming relation when the carrier is opened up for assembly with the bottles and 1,700,733 2/1929 Berkowitz 1. 229/41 B having Spaced apsrwres for accommodating top Pop 2 017 7 4 10/1935 Neumann 229/39 R g W95] Buttery 229/41 B tions of the bottles, together with finger-receiving 2:716:51) 8/1955 Rafothe1 21::IIIIIIIIII: 229/39 R holes whch are imposed a plural Ply area- 3,058,528 10/1962 Shiels 229/52 B 13 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PTENTEU L SHEET 2 (IF 2 norrt n CARRIER Carrientype carton blanks have been provided heretofore for packaging bottled beverages, and the like, which have been formed from an elongate rectangular blank cut and scored so that it may be wrapped about the top and sides of an assembly of bottles with end panels on the blank connected beneath the assembly to form a bottom wall. A carrier blank of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,386, dated Jan. 19, 1971. With such a blank an open ended package results which, in the case of some products, does not meet certain shipping requirements and the like. Generally,'for some beer products, for example, it has been necessary, in order to meet such requirements, to close the ends of the package and allow only a small neck portion of each bottle to be exposed to light. This has been accomplished generally by providing door forming panels on the end edges of the side walls with a resultant sacrifree in economy in cutting the necessary blanks from larger sheets or from a wide web. This has not been satisfactory for high speed operations and for other reasons. It is a general object, therefore, of the present invention to provide an improved carrier blank for packaging bottled beverages which may be cut from a larger sheet or web with a minimum of waste and which will provide for substantial or complete enclosure of the bottles so as to protect the same from the effects of light, which can be handled on existing packaging machinery with little or no machinery modification, and which will have other advantages over the blanks heretofore available.

A more particular object of the invention is toprovide a collapsible carrier for bottled beverages or the like which can be opened up for deposit on an assembly of bottles and which employs a blank formed from an elongate sheet, cut and scored so as to provide a series of connected side and end wall forming panels, with top wall forming panels extending along one side edge thereof and bottom wall forming panels extending in spaced relation along the opposite side edge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrier blank of the type which is formed from an elongate sheet of paperboard or similar foldable sheet material, with the body of the blank scored to provide connected side wall panels, and with top wall forming panels extending along the one side edge of the blank which are cut and scored so as to be connected to form a foldable or collapsible top wall member, which enables the car rier to be initially formed in collapsed condition, with the top wall member adapted to open up automatically into wall forming relation upon squaring up of the collapsed carrier for assembly with the bottles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier ter of bottles the top wall forming panels will automatically open into a common plane and form a top wall in which there are openings provided for accommodating portions of the bottle tops and also finger openings in multi-ply areas for grasping the package so as to conveniently carry the same. 7

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the bottle carrier package which is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a packaging unit comprising two rows of three beverage bottles enclosed in a tubular carton or carrier which embodies the principal features of the invention, one row of the bottles being shown in phantom line and the other row thereof being omitted;

FIG. 2 is -a top plan view of the carrier;-

FIG. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. l;

. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the top of the carrier in partially opened up position;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a paperboard blank which is cut and scored to form the carrier of FIG. ll;

FIG. 6 is a partial plan view showing portions of the blank which have been folded and supplied with glue preparatory to completing the carrier in knocked down condition; and

FIG. '7 is a plan view showing the completed carrier in collapsed or knocked down condition.

Referring first to FIG. ll, there is illustrated a packaging unit which comprises a group of six beverage bottles B which are enclosed in a wrapper in the form of I a blank which is folded about the group of bottles so as to constitute a combination container or carton and carrier C of tubular or sleeve-type configuration and which incorporates therein the principal features of the invention. The illustrated carrier or carton blank 10, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is formed of paperboard or other sheet material of suitable weightand thickness, which material is relatively flexible and which is capable of being cut and folded to form a substantially complete enclosure about the bottle assembly with sufficient strength and rigidity to support the bottles, which lends itself to high speed or high volume packaging operations and which does not require complex machinery for handling the same.

The paperboard blank lltl is cut and creased or scored, as shown in FIG. 5, to provide the walls and associated connecting members for the bottle receiving carton or carrier of FIG. I. The blank lltl is of generally rectangular shape. It is divided by transverse score lines 12, 14 and 16 into four integrally connected sections 18, 20, 22 and 24. The one end section 18 and the intermediate section 22 are cut and scored in an identical manner while the sections 20 and 24 are in part identical. The sections 18 and 22 of the blank are divided by score lines 26 and 28, which are aligned in the lengthwise direction of the blank, to provide end wall forming panels 30 and 32 and integral top wall forming panels 34 and 36, the latter being adapted to hinge on the score lines 26 and 28. The other two blank sections 20 and 24 are divided by longitudinal score lines 38 and 40 which are aligned with score lines 26 and 28, into separate side wall forming panels 42 and 44 and top wall forming panels as and 4b, with bottom wall forming panels and 52 extending laterally from the opposite side edges of the blank and separated from the side wall forming panels 42 and M by longitudinally aligned scores 54 and 56.

A narrow glue flap 58 extends transversely at one end of the blank which is separated from the side wall forming panel 44 by the transverse score line 60, the latter being parallel with the transverse score lines 12, 14 and 16. The end wall forming panels 30 and 32 are identical and the associated top wall forming panels 34 and 36 are cut so as to be identical. Likewise, the side wall panels 42 and 44 are identical and the associated top wall forming panels 46 and 48 are cut and scored so as to be identical while the bottom wall forming panels 50 and 52 have free outer margins which differ. The two top wall forming panels 46 and 48, which are foldable on the hinge lines 38 and 40 in fabricating the carrier, are each provided with a longitudinally extending row of circular apertures 62, 62' with longitudinal and transverse spacing according to the spacing of the bottles in the assembly which is being packaged. In each of the panels 46 and 48 the top accommodating apertures 62, 62 are spaced from the hinge forming crease lines 38 and 40 according to the diametrical dimension of the bottles so as to move into proper position for vertical alignment with the bottles when the panels 46 and 48 are brought into top wall forming relation. The panels 46 and 48 are each out along the outer edges to pro vide an inwardly extending V-shaped configuration 64, 64' with a relatively small, transversely extending wall or edge 66, 66 forming co-operating stop members for holding the panels in alignment when the outer margins of the panels are overlapped and the panels are in top wall forming relation with the edges 66, 66 interengaged as shown in FIG. 2. The panels 46 and 48 are scored on diagonal lines 68 and 68' which extend outwardly in generally parallel relation from the terminii of the lines 12 and 16, respectively. The score lines 68, 68' divide from the main body of the panels 46 and 48 glue flaps 70, 70' which are adapted to hinge on the score lines 68, 68. The score lines 68, 68 bisect the endmost bottle top receiving apertures 62, 62. Each of the panels 46 and 48 is provided with a pair of finger holes by cutting on the C-shaped lines 72, 72' and 74, 74, reinforcing tabs 76, 76' and 78, 78 resulting from the cutting, which reinforcing tabs are adapted to hinge on the transverse score lines 80, 80 and 82, 82'. The top wall fonning panels 34 and 36, which are integrally hinged to the top edges of the end wall forming panels 30 and 32, are each provided with a single bottle top accommodating aperture or hole 88, 88 which is aligned with the endmost hole 62 or 62' in the associated panel 46 or 48 when the panels 34, 36 and 46, 48 are connected and moved into top wall forming position. Corresponding side edges of the panels 34 and 36 are cut on the lines 84, 86 and 84' 86' so as to conform to the contour of the necks of the end bottles while providing three thicknesses of material in the area in which the finger holes are cut. The two panels 34 and 36 are cut on the C-shaped lines 90, 90 to provide finger holes with reinforcing tabs 92, 92 which are hinged on the longitudinally extending score lines 94, 94. The finger holes or apertures in these panels are located so as to substantially align with the finger holes or apertures resulting when the triangular panels 70, 70 are connected to the outer faces of the panels 34 and 36, enabling the reinforcing tabs 76, 76 and the underlying tabs 92, 92' to be folded inwardly together.

At the other side edge of the blank 10 the bottom wall forming panels 50 and 52 are each provided with series of compression apertures 96, 96' which extend in row alignment along the score lines 54 and 56 for receiving compression forming fingers when the panels 50 and 52 are hinged towards each other in closing the same for forming the bottom wall of the carrier as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,474,590, dated Oct. 28, i969. The panels 50 and 52 are provided at their outer margins with a means for latching the two panels together in bottom wall forming relation which may take the form of apertures 98 in the free outer margin of panel 50 and a locking strip or panel 100 on the outer margin of the panel 52. The locking panel 100, which is adapted to hinge on a longitudinal score line 102, is provided with longitudinally spaced locking tabs 104, spaced along the hinge line 102 and latching fingers or tongues 106 which are adapted for insertion in the apertures 98.

The panels 30, 32 and 42, 44 may be scored on the lines indicated at 110, 110 and 112, 112' to give the package a so-called contour appearance as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The dimensions of the end wall panels 30, 32 and the side wall panels 42, 44 are somewhat less than the width and length dimensions of the bottle assembly in forming the contour shape. The contour feature is optional and may be omitted in which event the dimensions of the end wall and side wall panels 30, 32 and 42, 44 would be somewhat larger so as to accommodate the bottles.

In the fabrication of the carrier the top wall forming panels 34, 36, 46 and 48 are first folded about the hinge forming score lines 26, 28, 38 and 40 onto the inside faces of the end and side wall forming panels 30, 32, 42 and 44. The connecting panels 70, 70 are then folded about the hinge forming score lines 68, 68 onto the panels 46 and 48 as shown in FIG. 6. An adhesive is applied to the inside faces of the panels 70, 70'. The blank section 24 is folded about the comer hinge line 16 and an adhesive is applied to the outside face of the connecting strip 58 after which the blank section 18 is folded about the carrier hinge line 12 which completes the carrier in the folded or collapsed condition shown in FIG. 7. Any suitable type of adhesive may be employed and it may be applied prior to folding. With the proper adhesive or coating heat sealing may be employed.

In the collapsed condition (FIG. 7) the carrier may be supplied for use on a packaging machine where the successive carriers are squared up and applied to the bottles by depositing on a cluster thereof from the top with the bottom wall forming panels being subsequently folded beneath the bottles and locked in place.

In the form of the carrier illustrated, there is no internal separation of the bottles in either direction. Where it is desirable to provide for separation of the bottles a separating partition structure may be provided, for example, as shown in U.S. Pat No. 3,166,228, granted to A. J. Weiss on Jan. 19, 1965 or any other suitable separating means may be employed.

I claim:

1. A carrier for bottled products which is fabricated from an elongate, generally rectangular blank cut and scored to provide connected side and end wall forming panels hinged to each other so as to form a collapsible tube for encircling an assembly of bottles which are arranged in double row and transversely paired relation, top wall forming panels hinged to the top edges of the side and end wall panels, said top wall forming panels being arranged in pairs with a panel of each pair thereof hinged to a side wall and the associated panelwhich is paired therewith being hinged to an adjoining end wall, the panels of each pair being connected and foldable upon each other inwardly of the side and end walls about a hinge line extending in a diagonal direc-. tion from the hinged corner connection of the associated side and end wall so as to lie between the side and end wall when the carrier is collapsed, said top wall forming panels having means for engaging top portions of the bottles so as to hold the same in position, and bottom wall forming panels hinged to the bottom edges of the side wall panels which bottom wall forming panels have interengaging connecting means for securing said bottom wall panels in bottom wall forming relation beneath the bottles when said carrier is positioned thereon.

2. A collapsible carrier for bottles formed from a blank of foldable sheet material which is cut and scored to provide hingedly connected side and end wall forming panels, top wall forming panels hinged to the top edges of the side and end wall forming panels and a pair of bottom wall forming panels hinged to the bottom edges of the side wall forming panels, said top wall forming panels being arranged in pairs with the panels of each pair adjoining each other and connected to each other on a hinge line extending diagonally inwardly of the corner forming fold which connects the side and end wall forming panels to which said pair of 39 top wall panels are hinged so as to collapse between the side and end wall forming panels when said panels are folded upon each other in collapsing the carrier, and said bottom wall forming panels having free marginal portions with means for interengaging and connecting said marginal portions when the carrier is opened up and deposited on an assembly of bottles and said bottom wall forming panels are hinged into coplanar relation beneath the assembly of bottles.

3. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have bottle top engaging means spaced according to the spacing of the bottles for which the carrier is provided.

4. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have bottle top engaging means in the form of aligned apertures for receiving the tops of the assembly of bottles which bottles are in double row and transversely paired align ment.

5. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels which are hinged to the side wall panels have marginal portions which overlap and edge portions which abut each other when said panels are in top wall forming position and said abutting edge portions holding the panels in alignment.

6. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have free marginal portions which overlap and which are inter- 6, connected when in top wall forming position.

7. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have marginal portions which overlap when the panels are in top wall forming position and wherein finger gripping holes are provided in the overlapped marginal portions of said panels.

8. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have overlapping marginal portions providing multi-ply areas when in top wall forming position and finger holes are cut in said multi-ply areas.

9. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have overlapping portions when in top wall forming position which provide three ply thickness and finger holes are cut in said three ply thickness.

10. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 9 wherein said finger holes have associated therewith hinged reinforcing tabs which are foldable beneath said overlapping portions of said top wall forming panels.

11. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bottom wall forming panels have marginal portions which overlap when in coplanar rela tion with locking tongues and co-operating locking ap-, ertures in which said tongues are engaged.

12. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein compression finger receiving apertures are provided at the juncture of said side wall forming panels and said bottom wall forming panels.

' 13. A blank for fabricating a collapsible bottle carrier comprising an-elongate sheet of bendable paperboard material which is cut and transversely scored to divide the same into integrally connected, generally rectangular side and end wall forming panels, generally rectangular bottom wall forming panels extending laterally at one side edge of the sheet which are separated from the side wall forming panels by hinge forming score lines, and top wall forming panels extending laterally of the opposite side edge of the sheet which are separated from the side and end wall forming panels by hinge forming score lines, said top wall forming panels which extend from the side wall forming panels each having a dimension transversely of the sheet which is greater than one half the dimension of the end wall forming panels in the lengthwise direction of the sheet, each of said top wall forming panels which extend from the side a wall panels having a generally V-shaped notch in the free' outer edge thereof with a relatively short transverse abutment forming edge both of which face in the same direction and each of said notched top wall form ing panels having a hinge forming diagonal score at one end thereof for dividing therefrom a generally triangular glue tab forming portion for connection in face engaging relation with the adjoining top wall forming panel which extends from the adjacent end wall forming panel. 

1. A carrier for bottled products which is fabricated from an elongate, generally rectangular blank cut and scored to provide connected side and end wall forming panels hinged to each other so as to form a collapsible tube for encircling an assembly of bottles which are arranged in double row and transversely paired relation, top wall forming panels hinged to the top edges of the side and end wall panels, said top wall forming panels being arranged in pairs with a panel of each pair thereof hinged to a side wall and the associated panel which is paired therewith being hinged to an adjoining end wall, the panels of each pair being connected and foldable upon each other inwardly of the side and end walls about a hinge line extending in a diagonal direction from the hinged corner connection of the associated side and end wall so as to lie between the side and end wall when the carrier is collapsed, said top wall forming panels having means for engaging top portions of the bottles So as to hold the same in position, and bottom wall forming panels hinged to the bottom edges of the side wall panels which bottom wall forming panels have interengaging connecting means for securing said bottom wall panels in bottom wall forming relation beneath the bottles when said carrier is positioned thereon.
 2. A collapsible carrier for bottles formed from a blank of foldable sheet material which is cut and scored to provide hingedly connected side and end wall forming panels, top wall forming panels hinged to the top edges of the side and end wall forming panels and a pair of bottom wall forming panels hinged to the bottom edges of the side wall forming panels, said top wall forming panels being arranged in pairs with the panels of each pair adjoining each other and connected to each other on a hinge line extending diagonally inwardly of the corner forming fold which connects the side and end wall forming panels to which said pair of top wall panels are hinged so as to collapse between the side and end wall forming panels when said panels are folded upon each other in collapsing the carrier, and said bottom wall forming panels having free marginal portions with means for interengaging and connecting said marginal portions when the carrier is opened up and deposited on an assembly of bottles and said bottom wall forming panels are hinged into coplanar relation beneath the assembly of bottles.
 3. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have bottle top engaging means spaced according to the spacing of the bottles for which the carrier is provided.
 4. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have bottle top engaging means in the form of aligned apertures for receiving the tops of the assembly of bottles which bottles are in double row and transversely paired alignment.
 5. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels which are hinged to the side wall panels have marginal portions which overlap and edge portions which abut each other when said panels are in top wall forming position and said abutting edge portions holding the panels in alignment.
 6. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have free marginal portions which overlap and which are interconnected when in top wall forming position.
 7. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have marginal portions which overlap when the panels are in top wall forming position and wherein finger gripping holes are provided in the overlapped marginal portions of said panels.
 8. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have overlapping marginal portions providing multi-ply areas when in top wall forming position and finger holes are cut in said multi-ply areas.
 9. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said top wall forming panels have overlapping portions when in top wall forming position which provide three ply thickness and finger holes are cut in said three ply thickness.
 10. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 9 wherein said finger holes have associated therewith hinged reinforcing tabs which are foldable beneath said overlapping portions of said top wall forming panels.
 11. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bottom wall forming panels have marginal portions which overlap when in coplanar relation with locking tongues and co-operating locking apertures in which said tongues are engaged.
 12. A collapsible carrier for bottles as set forth in claim 2 wherein compression finger receiving apertures are provided at the juncture of said side wall forming panels and said bottom wall forming panels.
 13. A blank for fabricating a collapsible bottle carrier comprising an elongate sheet of beNdable paperboard material which is cut and transversely scored to divide the same into integrally connected, generally rectangular side and end wall forming panels, generally rectangular bottom wall forming panels extending laterally at one side edge of the sheet which are separated from the side wall forming panels by hinge forming score lines, and top wall forming panels extending laterally of the opposite side edge of the sheet which are separated from the side and end wall forming panels by hinge forming score lines, said top wall forming panels which extend from the side wall forming panels each having a dimension transversely of the sheet which is greater than one half the dimension of the end wall forming panels in the lengthwise direction of the sheet, each of said top wall forming panels which extend from the side wall panels having a generally V-shaped notch in the free outer edge thereof with a relatively short transverse abutment forming edge both of which face in the same direction and each of said notched top wall forming panels having a hinge forming diagonal score at one end thereof for dividing therefrom a generally triangular glue tab forming portion for connection in face engaging relation with the adjoining top wall forming panel which extends from the adjacent end wall forming panel. 